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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hand — help
  19. clip — a video
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com